Pinehaven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Leonard Yazzie was sentenced to 78 months in prison. Yazzie, 41, of Pinehaven, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty in federal court to abusive sexual contact on July 7, 2023.

According to court documents, on April 30, 2021, following a report from school personnel, Jane Doe disclosed to the Farmington Police Department during a forensic interview that Yazzie had sexually abused her during the summer of 2016. Jane Doe reported three separate incidents over the summer. When Yazzie was interviewed by law enforcement on July 30, 2021, he admitted to touching Jane Doe when she was seven years old.

Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.

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